Steak and Tomatoes

Forget steak and potatoes, the new summer combo is Steak and Tomatoes! The recipe comes from a brand-new cookbook from food blogger Jaden Hair. The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook includes her unforgettable steak recipe, ribeyes pan-seared then finished in the oven to serve on a juicy bed of tomatoes, onions and late-summer vegetables all sweet and sour and saucy. Those tomatoes? OH MY.

Approachable, Homestyle Whole Food, Simply Prepared. Real Food, Fresh & Fast & Inventive. Another Quick Supper, a Kitchen Parade Specialty. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Naturally Gluten Free. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

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COMPLIMENTS!

• "... the family went wild - I think they want it every night now!!!!" ~ Kathleen

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Do Cookbooks Represent the Seasons of Their Authors?

First look last fall, I was instantly charmed by the intimacy of The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook by Jaden Hair, the force-of-nature known online for Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are peppered with family pictures and personal anecdotes. In person (yes, we’ve met!) and in book, Jaden exudes irrepressible energy and sheer fun.

At first, however, the recipes themselves didn’t call to me and the cookbook dropped to the bottom of the stack.

Fast forward to early summer when I found myself tagging one recipe after another. Could I cook the entire book? I sure wanted to!

Why the change? I wondered.

Then it hit me. The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook has a summery slant and for good reason. Jaden lives in Florida where good tomatoes, say, can be found more months than not; where "winter" is a few weeks of coolish weather; where good seafood comes straight from the Gulf and the Atlantic.

When a cookbook author lives in a place with nine months of summer, naturally her recipes reflect the tastes of summer.

The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook has an Asian slant too, the official title is The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook: 101 Recipes Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight’s Dinner, good for nudging my recipe repertoire in a new direction.

There's a lot to appreciate.

• The ingredients are "real food" and accessible – most will already be familiar to regular Kitchen Parade readers.
• The techniques are easy to follow – "simple enough for tonight’s dinner" is no stretch.
• The recipes are healthy – nearly all are low-fat and high-flavor and call for lots of vegetables.

So add it up: accessible Asian, fresh, easy and healthy. That’s lots to love about The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook. I like that! You just might too!

But Here's the Question: Online Recipes vs Cookbook Recipes vs Magazine Recipes

These days, do find yourself more inspired to cook by online sources (you know, websites such as Kitchen Parade and Steamy Kitchen) or by cookbooks and magazines that you can hold and browse in your hands? Let me know in the comments!

Other food bloggers also like recipes from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook:

• Pho Ga from Andrea's Recipes
• Garlic Butter Noodles from White on Rice Couple
• Pad Thai from Rasa Malaysia
• Korean BBQ Burgers from Use Real Butter
• Salmon Kabayaki (Pan-Fried Salmon) from Elena's Pantry

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How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this recipe inspires you, please do save and share! I'd be honored ...

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QUICK SUPPER: STEAK and TOMATOES

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 60 minutes
Serves 4

Yes, we really do start the steaks on the stove in one skillet and then move them to the oven in another. What?! Why? It's so the tomatoes may cook in that first skillet, benefiting from the steaks' flavorful fond.

STEAK
• Ribeye steaks for 4 (see Alanna’s TIPS), warmed to room temperature for 30 minutes
• Olive oil
• Spice rub for meat (see TIPS)
• Red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon bacon grease or olive oil

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE for TOMATOES
(double if adding okra or other optional vegetables)
• 1/4 cup (60g) water
• 1 tablespoon (17g) ketchup
• 1-1/2 tablespoons (19g) rice vinegar or another mild vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (25g) sugar (see TIPS)
• 1 teaspoon (5g) soy sauce

TOMATOES
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, slivered
• 4 small onions, peeled and sliced vertically into wedges
• 4 small ripe but firm tomatoes, sliced vertically into wedges
• 1/2 pound okra or other vegetables, optional (see TIPS)
• Sweet & Sour Sauce

TO SERVE
• Cooked rice such as How to Cook White Rice
• Tomatoes with Sweet & Sour Sauce
• Steaks
• Extra Sauce

STEAKS Place an oven-safe skillet (for simplicity, let’s call it Skillet One) in the oven and heat the oven to 300F/150C.

If needed (or just desired), trim excess fat off the steaks, then rub with a little oil, a little spice rub, then wet the tops with a splash of red wine vinegar.

Heat the bacon grease in a second skillet (that would be Skillet Two) on medium high, drop in the steaks to sear without moving for 2-3 minutes, putting a little burn (see TIPS) on the outside. Turn the steaks over and sear the other side.

Transfer the meat to Skillet One and finish cooking in the oven, until the internal temperature reaches 120F/50C.

How long will that take? "Awhile" says my Culinary Co-Conspirator who's usually in charge of the meat and usually gets it right. Me, I use a digital meat thermometer (affiliate link) to avoid undercooking or overcooking every single time. Either way, once the temperature is reached, turn off the oven but leave the meat inside, letting the meat rest while continuing.

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE While the steaks cook, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

TOMATOES While the steaks finish in the oven, add the garlic and onion to Skillet Two (it should still be hot and have a good shimmer of fat left, if not reheat and add a little oil), cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic turns golden, then push to the side. Add the tomatoes in a single layer, stirring only very occasionally to permit a slight "burn" to develop. Add the okra or other vegetables.

Stir in the Sweet & Sour Sauce and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes and onions and other vegetables are gently cooked and well-coated with the sauce. Taste and adjust as needed (see Jaden’s TIPS).

SERVE Fill serving plates with rice, top with the cooked Tomatoes and cooked Steaks. Finally, drizzle a little sauce over the steaks. Consider having a loaf of crusty bread nearby to sop up the juices. Savor every bite!

ALANNA’s TIPS If good ribeyes aren’t in the budget or the freezer, substitute strip steaks, top sirloin or thick-cut pork chops or lamb chops. Thick-cut steaks are so large, one easily feeds three or four so if need be, cut the meat into pieces before prepping. If you like, grill the steaks or cook them in your favorite way. But since the meat juice is so important to the flavor of the cooked tomatoes, cut off a small piece of meat and cook it in Skillet Two before making the sauce. Use your favorite spice rub. Here we are partial to what's become the "house rub" which is why I call it My Spice Rub. But before then, we always leaned on Galena Street Rub from Penzeys. A little "burn" is good, it adds flavor and texture. Try it, you won’t go back! If you’re adding optional vegetables, think about how long they’ll take to cook compared to the tomatoes, they might need to be added before the tomatoes. Not in the mood for beef? The tomatoes themselves are a wonderful stand-alone side dish. Leftovers are a welcome addition to Charcuterie for Two, say. Or mix the tomatoes with cream cheese, goat cheese or even Greek yogurt for an intriguing sandwich or cracker spread. Since first publishing this recipe to great accolades in 2010, I've come to find the Sweet 'n' Sour Sauce a little too sweet. Now I add sugar to taste instead of the stated amount, just sprinkling a little over the skillet once the sauce goes in.

JADEN’s TIPS Jaden coaches us to taste the sauce and a bite of tomato before serving. If it’s too puckery, she advises, add 1/2 teaspoon sugar. If it’s not sour enough? Add 1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar. If it needs salt? Add 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce. If the sweet and sour is too strong? Add a tablespoon of water. The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook is filled with little tips like this, ones that build confidence in new and experienced cooks both. PS We find the yin-yang of sweet and sour in the Sweet & Sour Sauce as written to be "spot on" perfect for the tomatoes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving, Whole Meal, assumes 4 ounces raw steak per serving without/with optional vegetables plus extra sauce: 354/402 Calories; 19g Tot Fat; g Sat Fat; 54mg Cholesterol; 185/307mg Sodium; 18/29g Carb; 2/4g Fiber; 13/20g Sugar; 22/24g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS WW Old Points 8/9 & WW PointsPlus 9/10 & future WW points

Adapted from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook: 101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight's Dinner (affiliate link), a complimentary copy from author Jaden Hair and the publisher Tuttle Publishing My Disclosure Promise

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If you like Kitchen Parade's recipes, you'll love A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables with more from-scratch recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, home to the famous Alphabet of Vegetables and vegetables in every course, seasonal to staples, savory to sweet, salads to sides, soups to supper, simple to special.

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More Great Steak Recipes

more
~ beef recipes ~
~ Quick Supper Recipes ~

• THE RECIPE Frozen Steaks How to cook perfect steaks every time, starting with frozen meat straight from the freezer! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE All Courses Lavender: An Easy Romantic Dinner with Lavender Steaks, Lavender Potatoes, Lavender Crème Brûlée

• THE RECIPE Steak & Poblanos a Quick Supper, How to turn an inexpensive cut into a tender, tasty steak. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Pepper Steak & Mushrooms, a Quick Supper, easy for everyday, good for occasions.

• THE RECIPE Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette A hearty salad supper, steak with a mess of lettuce, tomatoes, avocado in a poblano-bacon vinaigrette.
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy-Easy Marinated Flank Steak Just two ingredients and about ten minutes of hands-on time.

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ beef recipes ~
~ ketchup recipes ~
~ onion recipes ~
~ tomato recipes ~
~ okra recipes ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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